Ready-to-drink beverage (RTD) consumption in Thai population: trend and associated factors

ABSTRACT Objectives To examine ready-to-drink beverage (RTD) consumption and to investigate the effects of gender and age on RTD consumption by using data 2011 and 2014 waves of a national alcohol survey. Design Analysis of data from Smoking and Drinking Behavior Survey (SADBeS) 2011 and 2014, a nationally representative survey. Setting Thailand Participants 177,350 (2011 survey) and 25,758 (2014 survey) samples of Thais aged 15 years or older who were randomly selected using multistage-sampling technique. Primary outcome RTD consumption in past 12 months (yes/no) as stated by survey participants Results The prevalence of RTD drinkers increased from 0.5% (95% CI, 0.5-0.5%) in 2011 to 2.4% (95% CI, 2.1-2.6%) in 2014. Female drinkers were 5.1 (95% CI, 4.1-6.4) times more likely to consume RTDs than male drinkers. The likelihood of drinking RTDs decreased with age. Drinking initiation before the legal purchasing age (20 years old) was associated with 1.5 (95% CI, 1.1-1.9) times likelihood of RTDs consumption. Conclusions A substantial increase in RTD consumption was observed in Thailand, a middle-income country, during 2011-2014. The consumption was notable in youths and females. Given that RTDs have been introduced into the Thai market relatively recently, this may be a part of the alcohol industry strategies to boost their sales in middle-income countries. Growth in RTD consumption could pose a challenge for health authorities to control alcohol-related harms in the future especially among youths and females. Article Summary Strengths and limitations of this study A reliable estimate of prevalence of RTD consumption was obtained by using data from two waves of a large national representative survey. The lack of information about pattern of RTD consumption including quantity and drinking frequency limited further analysis. Funding This work was supported by the Center for Alcohol Studies, Thailand, grant number 62-02029-0043. Competing interests statement None declared.